BluTracker Wants to Help You Find Your Stuff Half a Mile Away

By Brad Chacos, LAPTOP Contributor | Jan 3, 2013 11:52 AM EDT

Would you have problems keeping track of your head if it wasn’t screwed on tight? There’s a crowdfunding project for that. Today, StickNFind announced that it’s seeking funding for BluTracker, a tandem Bluetooth geolocation app/dongle that can pinpoint the location of an object to within 10 feet if it’s within a whopping half-mile of your location.

The secret sauce, of course, is the BluTracker dongle itself, which is packed with a Bluetooth radio, a motion detector, and RF-amplifier assisted GPS. That impressive range deteriorates the more walls you put between the dongle and the app-wielding phone, but the device isn’t all about range; it’s durable, too, with a water-resistant casing and a claimed two-month battery life between charges.

The dongle pairs with a companion app, which will be freely available in both Apple’s App Store and Google Play. In addition to displaying the location of the dongle in Google Maps if you’re outdoors or via a directional “Radar” scanner if you’re indoors, the app can be configured to let you know when the dongle moves whatsoever, or you can create a virtual GPS fence that alerts you when the BluTracker leaves the designated area.

A hundred potential use cases spring to mind—from keeping tabs on your teen at the mall to keeping tabs on your briefcase at a crowded airport—but all of them are dependent on BluTracker receiving the funding StickNFind is looking for in a newly launched IndieGoGo campaign; the company is looking to raise $50,000 in the next 50 days. StickNFind is no stranger to crowdfunding, with a separate StickNFind Bluetooth sticker campaign currently sitting with more than $495,000 in funding with 12 days left to go. That’s seven times more than the $70,000 the company hoped to raise for the project.

You can buy in to the BluTracker project now for $69, while the device is expected to retail for $89.95 after—and if—it meets its funding goals. The tracking device will also be making an appearance at CES next week.